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Business improvement specialists, Oliver Wight, have teamed up with ITN Productions to film a revealing documentary, ‘Turning Fortunes Around - uncovering the secrets of Supply Chain success’.
The programme, produced for the Global Logistics and Transport News channel, a partnership between ITN Productions and the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), aims to capture the current state of global supply chains and how to manage them.
Introducing the film, presenter Natasha Kaplinsky, explains that optimising the supply chain can bring down costs by half but as well as more accurate forecasting and reduced overstocking, a mind-set change is also required.
“The recent horse meat scandal brought the complexity of global supply chains and the difficulties of controlling them, sharply into focus,” says Oliver Wight consultant Liam Harrington, interviewed in the documentary. “The industry is dominated by the dogma of price, however the lowest price doesn’t actually mean lower costs and it can put reputation on the line when the price quest leads to a fragmented supply chain.”
The film includes interviews with Oliver Wight customers, furniture manufacturer the Quality Furniture Company, which says it owes its survival to supply chain improvements, and Inks manufacturer Akzo Nobel, which has achieved £1 million of savings in just nine months.
Oliver Wight consultant, Anne Marie Kilkenny, who also appears in the film, says, “The collaboration with ITN Productions and CILT is an excellent opportunity to tackle the impact of globalisation, transparency and the environment on the supply chain, and provide some insight in to how to create a more integrated, cost-efficient model.”
The channel will be regularly updated with stories on the latest innovation, thought leadership and best practice – providing an essential tool for professionals working in logistics, transport and supply chain.
Launched at the 2013 Annual Logistics Conference this month, the Oliver Wight documentary is hosted on ITN Productions’ Transport News Channel as part of its ‘Thought Leadership’ series. Watch it here.
You can also see some exciting behind the scenes footage of the filming published on YouTube here.
Notes to editors


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Sony Pictures Animation’s Hotel Transylvania: Transformania will bypass a theatrical run, picking rather stream on Amazon Prime, The Hollywood Reporter has affirmed.
Amazon offered no comment when reached about the conceivable arrangement for Hotel Transylvania 4. In any case, the choice to skip theaters and head to Prime Video with the CG-animated pic is perceived to be in the beginning stages and could bring about a deal valued at around $100 million.
The most recent chapter of the Hotel Transylvania franchise from maker Genndy Tartakovsky has a group voice cast that incorporates Andy Samberg returning as Johnny, Selena Gomez, Kathryn Hahn, Jim Gaffigan, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, David Spade and Keegan-Michael Key.
The film is set to be the most recent significant studio tentpole to launch on a streamer in the midst of the continuous aftermath from the pandemic.
With the movies back and running, this current summer’s theatrical release calendar is particularly packed with regards to family fare and a Delta variant surge has placed another headwind in the method of the significant studios.
Hotel Transylvania 4 was set to hit theaters in October.
All through the pandemic, Sony has licensed some of its films to streamers.

domain: news


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In the fast-evolving world of technology, Japan is taking significant strides. The recent announcement about its Web3 ecosystem, aimed at attracting 5000 international firms, marks a pivotal moment in the global tech landscape. In this article, we’ll delve into the details of this ambitious plan, exploring its implications, opportunities, and challenges.
Understanding Web3: The Future of the Internet
What is Web3?
Web3 represents the third generation of the internet, where decentralized networks play a key role. This new phase focuses on leveraging blockchain technology, smart contracts, and cryptocurrencies, creating a more user-centric web experience.
The Shift from Web2 to Web3
We are witnessing a paradigm shift from the centralized structures of Web2 to the decentralized nature of Web3. This transition promises enhanced security, transparency, and user autonomy.
Japan’s Strategic Move into Web3
Japan’s Vision for Web3
Japan’s foray into Web3 is not just a technological leap but a strategic move to position itself as a global tech hub. The goal to attract 5000 international firms is ambitious but reflects the country’s commitment to innovation.
Opportunities for International Firms
This initiative opens doors for international firms to participate in a burgeoning tech ecosystem, offering access to cutting-edge technology and a supportive regulatory environment.
The Potential Impact on the Global Tech Scene
A New Era of Tech Innovation
Japan’s focus on Web3 could usher in a new era of tech innovation, setting new standards and practices in the industry.
Challenges and Considerations
While the opportunities are vast, challenges like regulatory compliance, cultural integration, and technological adaptation need to be addressed.
The Role of Government and Private Sector
The Japanese government’s role is crucial in providing a conducive environment for these firms through supportive policies and infrastructure development.
Private Sector Participation
The success of this initiative also hinges on active private sector participation, fostering collaborations and knowledge exchange.
What This Means for Consumers
Enhanced Digital Experiences
Consumers can expect more secure, transparent, and personalized digital experiences as a result of this shift to Web3.
Consumer Awareness and Education
There is a need for increased consumer awareness and education regarding the benefits and nuances of Web3 technologies.
Japan’s move to create a robust Web3 ecosystem and attract 5000 international firms is a testament to its vision and determination to lead in the tech industry. This initiative has the potential to reshape the global tech landscape, offering exciting opportunities for firms and consumers alike.
- What is Web3 and why is it important? Web3 represents the third generation of the internet, focusing on decentralization and blockchain technology. It is important for its potential to create a more secure, transparent, and user-centric online experience.
- Why is Japan focusing on attracting international firms for its Web3 ecosystem? Japan aims to position itself as a global tech hub and believes that attracting international firms will foster innovation and growth in its Web3 ecosystem.
- What opportunities does Japan’s Web3 initiative offer to international firms? International firms can access advanced technology, a supportive regulatory environment, and opportunities for collaboration in Japan’s growing tech ecosystem.
- What challenges might firms face in Japan’s Web3 ecosystem? Challenges include navigating regulatory compliance, cultural integration, and adapting to new technologies.
- How will Japan’s Web3 focus impact consumers? Consumers can expect enhanced digital experiences with improved security, transparency, and personalization.


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I repeat, two million units.
In case you haven’t played it yet, let me reiterate what Riyad said in our review: Gears of War 2 rocks! Don’t believe us? Ask the two million other people who bought the game over the launch weekend.
No doubt of help in the huge sales figures was the simultaneous launch in 20 countries. A rare feat in the games industry as epic’s Cliff Blezinski iterated: “We were so excited to launch ‘Gears of War 2′ on the same day all around the world, something virtually unheard of in the games business. We wanted our fans, no matter where they live, to have a shared experience on day one, and that’s exactly what’s happened.”
1.5 million people Xbox Live players were logged playing a massive 15 million hours of gameplay and, incidentally, unlocking some 19 million Achievements in the process. Apparently a new record for concurrent Live players was also set in the process, stat hunters.
In case you haven’t heard of it, Gears of War 2 allows players to experi… only kidding, you already know what the game is by now. If you don’t already have it, go buy it. Now!


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Industry, construction, agro-business are in the focus of the Macedonian-Greek Business Forum, taking place Saturday in Skopje. The two-day gathering is organized by the Macedonian Chambers of Commerce (SSK) under the auspices of the US Colombia University.
There is great potential for cooperation between the businessmen of both countries, SSK President Danela Arsovska said, opening the event. ‘SSK encourages the business ties between the economies of both countries. To that effect, in 2015 SSK signed the first cooperation agreement with Greece since Macedonia’s independence at the inaugural bilateral business forum in Thessaloniki. There are great potential for cooperation between the businessmen of both countries.
We believe that today’s forum will yield concrete results in establishing new and strengthening the existing partnerships, joint projects and presentations on third markets,’ Arsovska said. Minister in charge of foreign investments Zorica Apostolska expressed believe that the government’s plan for economic development would provide favorable climate for the business sector.
The relations between the two countries are getting better when priority is given to their economic ties, Greek International Business Association (SEVE) chairman Kyriakos Loufakis said. Greece is one of Macedonia’s biggest trading partners. Total exchange in 2016 was at EUR 598 million.
Professor David L. Phillips, Director, Program on Peace-building and Rights, Institute for the Study of Human Rights, Columbia University, spoke about the importance of the cooperation of the two chambers working for the economic benefits of the two countries.
Greek companies have up to date invested in Macedonia’s banking sector, oil, textile industry and trade.


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Things are not going well at Chipotle. Despite a number of weird promotions, the chain has not been able to recover from a 2015 E. coli outbreak. Additionally, Chipotle was hit by hackers who used malware to steal customers’ credit card information earlier this year. At the time, the extent of the attack was unknown, but Chipotle just announced that while the malware was completely removed, “most” of its stores were affected. Yikes.
According to The Verge, between March 24 and April 18, Chipotle locations in every state where the chain operates were hit, as were many of its Pizzeria Locale restaurants. So, it’s safe to say that if you’re a regular burrito consumer, it’s time to do some research.
“The malware searched for track data (which sometimes has cardholder name in addition to card number, expiration date, and internal verification code) read from the magnetic stripe of a payment card as it was being routed through the POS device,” Chipotle said in a statement. “There is no indication that other customer information was affected.”
If you think you may have been affected by this hack, Chipotle released a tool to help customers determine if a location they visited was hacked. You can find it here. Pizzeria Locale visitors can check here.
(via The Verge)


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The long-awaited PlayStation 5 reveal event is reportedly poised to go down on June 3. Sony hasn't confirmed this, but the date is being thrown around by a few reliable sources. That said, apparently, this wasn't always the date. According to Alanah Pearce, the PlayStation 5 reveal event was already supposed to have happened, but Sony has had to push off the presentation multiple times because it wasn't going to settle for a lesser product.
According to the former IGN journalist, Sony didn't want to sacrifice being professional just to get the event out the door, something Microsoft recently did with the Xbox Series X during the latest episode of Inside Xbox. As a result, it's had to push the big reveal back on numerous occasions.
"They [Sony] have tried to do presentations already this year, and I know this from developers who were supposed to be part of these presentations, but didn't because for some reason somewhere in the Sony hierarchy they were very obsessed with the idea of having a very professional stream rather than something previously recorded," said Pearce while speaking to Kinda Funny Games. "So they [Sony] weren't willing to do anything outside of a massive studio with a crew of 25 to 30 people, which for those developers planning to have their games revealed at these certain streams was very frustrating, because they were like 'I don't understand why we just can't send in the footage'."
"PlayStation just wasn't having the at-home quality stuff -- they were refusing to do it. So I feel like this is actually going to be huge."
Unfortunately, this is where the juicy, inside details end. And of course, everything here should be taken with a grain of salt. While Pearce is considered a reliable source by many, nothing here is official, and everything is subject to change, especially during a pandemic.
The PlayStation 5 is currently scheduled to release worldwide sometime this holiday season. You can continue to read more about the next-gen console via the relevant links below:


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London, 17 July, 2013
“Globalisation saw little reversal during the recent crisis mainly because of WTO, the role of social safety nets and the success of emerging economies in global trade, among others” said Martin Wolf, Chief Economic Commentator, Financial Times at the 5th CUTS 30th Anniversary Lecture at London on 15th July on the topic “The Future of Global Trade Policy”.
The well attended lecture was hosted by the Commonwealth Secretariat and chaired by Kamalesh Sharma, Secretary General, Commonwealth Secretariat, and Financial Times as the media partner. Justine Greening, UK’s Secretary of State for International Development spoke at the event, while Professors Jim Rollo and Alan Winters commented on Wolf’s lecture.
Wolf, while appreciating the role of CUTS’s admirable work in the trade area, felt that the trading system is facing many challenges both from the inside and outside. The main challenges from outside are the imbalances between trade and exchange rates, climate change and inequality that is corroding the political base in favour of trade in developed countries. He stated that while these are important issues, WTO is not the right place to address them.
Speaking at the event, Justine Greening congratulated CUTS on completing its first 30 years, during which it has consistently made the case for free trade, combined with competition and consumer welfare, leading to economic democracy. She also highlighted the long standing productive relationship between DFID and CUTS.
Greening stated that the UK government and DFID firmly believe that trade will play a key role in poverty reduction and the developing countries should be helped to reap the benefits of free and fair trade.
According to Greening, the main reasons for many developing countries not trading enough include: lack of access to markets; lack of enabling environment, particularly poor infrastructure and weak regulatory system; and not being able to be part of global value chains, that can create more and better jobs. She reiterated UK’s commitment to delivering an agreement on trade facilitation at the 9th WTO ministerial conference to be held in Bali, Indonesia in December-2013.
Wolf appreciated the focus of CUTS in trade, competition, consumer welfare and building LDCs supply capacities. He believed that the poor will become even further marginalised without a robust and fair multilateral trading system.
According to Wolf, the trading system as represented by WTO is faced with several internal challenges, namely successful conclusion of Doha round that will restore legitimacy and relevance of the multilateral trading system and secondly the mega regional trade and investment agreements, i.e. trans-atlantic and trans-pacific, partnerships.
Wolf expressed doubts if the negotiations of these mega-regional trade and investment agreements would succeed. But it would be unfortunate if these negotiations are done without China and other emerging economies. Therefore, Wolf strongly advocated that these should be open to any WTO member who wishes to join later.
Alan Winters in his comments reinforced and expanded on several points made by Wolf. He believed that the 2008 economic crisis did not lead to high levels of protectionism as the world had a lot more macro-economic flexibility unlike in the 1930s. Winters added, that it was too early to declare victory as we have not seen the end of the crisis and governments may yet succumb to pressures for protectionist measures.
He considered smooth integration of China as the biggest internal challenge facing the multilateral trading system. This should not be based on the terms set by the west. Rather the trading system has to change to accommodate the interests of emerging economies including China and India that are different from those of the west.
Jim Rollo recalling the enthusiasm and appreciation of Pradeep Mehta founder and Secretary General of CUTS said that it never wanes and the result in terms of the expansion and success of CUTS is in front of us.
While commenting on the lecture by Wolf, Rollo stated that the WTO is in more trouble than we were willing to admit. He was also worried that the state capitalism was back in business witnessed by bail outs to auto companies and the fact that most of China’s big exporters are stated owned. He also lamented the fact that the private sector has exhibited a lack of interest in the WTO and Doha round.
In the ensuing discussions several questions and comments were made relating to the success of WTO in many of its functions including the dispute settlement, role and responsibilities and performance of China in WTO, issues of interests to developing countries other than China and other emerging economies, i.e. Sub-Saharan Africa, LDCs and small states.
Another interesting debate was around the importance of trade finance for the trade performance of small developing countries, relationship of the financial sector with the real sector and the role of trade in the use and exploitation of natural resources. One participant raised the issue of consumers being ignored in the debate, while panelists did respond that higher trade-led growth does lead to higher consumer welfare.
Pradeep Mehta stated that consumers are the raison de’etre of all economic activity and spoke about a recent CUTS study about the cost of economic non-cooperation in South Asia which costs the regional economies US$3bn. Since the study was published, governments have woken up which is evident in rising intra-regional trade.
Mehta admitted that most of the discourse in the past had assumed that consumer interest would be advanced when trade volumes rise, but were not explicit in approaching trade liberalization through the lens of consumer welfare and thus positioning the debate domestically for consumers to support.
He also stressed the need for strong flanking policies, such as health, education, skills, regulatory regimes etc., to ensure that the benefits of trade openness reach all segments of the society. According to him, coherence in policies at the domestic level and among institutions at the international level etc were needed to face the challenges. This was also a main conclusion of the DG WTO’s High Level Panel on the Future of Trade of which he was a member.
In his vote of thanks, Cyrus Rustomjee, Director, Economic Affairs Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat remarked that the event was very successful and useful for their own work on trade policy. He spoke about a recent ComSec paper: “Right to Trade” by Joseph Stiglitz which has laid out how small and vulnerable economies can benefit from the multilateral trading system.
Rustomjee stated that they will continue to devote their assistance to help its member developing countries, particularly small states, for their participation in the trading system through high-quality research and capacity building workshops.


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Woodbury resident Tom Adams loves cars.
His first was a 1957 Chevy. He sold it in 2009.
“I couldn’t watch it go on the truck,” Adams said. “I had my dad load it up. It was tough.”
Adams, 40, has enjoyed cars, specifically hot rods, since he was a youngster, working on them with his father, a mechanic, as soon as he was old enough.
A member of the Minnesota Street Road Association, Adams has won several awards for his hot rods, and will once again have a vehicle on display at this year’s 3M Rod & Custom Car Club show at Woodbury Days.
It’s an orange and black 1939 Chevrolet with plenty of chrome inside and vroom under the hood.
The car is also up for a Minnesota Street Road Association award. He’ll find out this January if he owns the 2013 Street Rod of the Year.
Adams, who noted that there’s a decent-sized group of hot rod enthusiasts in Woodbury, says people won’t look back 20 years from now and say: “I’m going to remember my Ford Focus.”
A classic car is “a piece of art,” he said.
“The cars have character,” Adams said. “You can see faces in them.”
Adams, who works in manufacturing, has also started up a business (Adams’ Rod Shop) that rebuilds hot rods. He would like to do it full time eventually.
His wife Jill said she’s supportive of his passion and proud of the work her husband and father-in-law do—building the cars from the ground up.
For Adams, it’s a joy and an escape to work on those pieces of art.
“It’s like I’m in the zone,” he said.
• • • •


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Unlimited access to DRMed music is something yet to take off but Cricket is taking great pride in announcing that they’re the first US carrier to announce a music service giving unlimited access to millions of songs. For $55 a month, a user will unlimited data, text, calling and even full songs, ringtones and ringback tones.
Since the service is restricted with DRMed songs, only select models will work with the service and the first device to support is Samsung’s Suede. It’s a touchscreen-equipped messaging phone that supports Muve and comes with a dedicate Muve Music key.
Suede (SCH-r710) will be released in January 2011 alongside the music service and features a 3-inch screen, 3G support, virtual QWERTY keyboard, microSD card slot and more.
The phone will sell for $199.


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A new expansion pack, that is expected to arrive in The Sims 4 soon, could mark the return of a popular feature that one came across in The Sims 3.
At the moment, Sims fans are keenly awaiting the arrival of Project Rene. However, before it comes around, Electronic Arts seems to have a lot of things planned out for The Sims 4. Though two new kits were introduced in the game a while back, the overall pace at which fresh content was being rolled out to the game has slowed down. This was not the case till a few years back when content was being introduced at regular intervals in the game.
While Maxis is busy with the development process of the next game in the franchise, it continues to make an effort towards making The Sims 4 better and more interesting for players. One has witnessed the release of 12 game packs and 13 expansions in the game so far. This would make fans believe that the game has passed the stage where one could expect it to throw some surprises. Most fans thought that Growing Together would end up being the last expansion to be introduced in The Sims 4. However, there was a scope to build something that would revolve around animals or pets.
As per the reports published on multiple platforms, the soon-to-be-launched expansion designed for The Sims 4 shall feature an equestrian spin. This content update, which seems to have been titled Horse Ranch, will give Sims players the opportunity to create horses and play with them. Though the leak doesn’t confirm this, there is a strong possibility of the horses acting similarly to dogs and cats in The Sims 4. They are treated as household members and boast several unique traits.
Players, who have regularly followed the game’s community forums, have known about Electronic Arts teasing a new content pack revolving around horses in the last couple of months. Once Horse Ranch is officially released, players can look forward to a lot of interesting content being added to The Sims 4. Apart from a new map, there will be a bunch of clothes furniture items and other accessories that players would have access to.
At $39.99, the price of the new expansion is on the higher side. However, the players should like and enjoy all that it offers them. In the past, The Sims 4 has come under a lot of criticism because of the high pricing of its DLCs. While monetizing Project Rene, players are hoping that The Sims 4 would follow an approach that would work for most players.
A lot of players are of the opinion that a Battle Pass system would work very well for The Sims 5. While the game boasts of a huge player base, new players have started finding the game to be a little inaccessible owing to the prices at which the DLCs and other items are being sold. One way to address this issue is, perhaps, following a live service model that has proved to be highly beneficial for many titles. If the game continues to remain inaccessible, its player base will shrink over a period of time.


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Pakistan marked the beginning of 2021 with a digital leap forward following the launch of Raast – Pakistan’s first instant payment system that enables end-to-end digital payments among individuals, businesses and government entities.
Launched by Prime Minister Imran Khan on January 11, the initiative is part of his “Digital Pakistan Vision” aimed at including poor segments of society in the formal economy.
However, the inauguration left a massive chunk of people scratching their heads in confusion. The Express Tribune reached out to an official who helped create the system to clear some of the doubts.
Karandaaz Chief Digital Officer Rehan Akhtar told The Express Tribune that Raast is not a bank or a mobile wallet, rather it is a backend payment system similar to 1link, which intends to take all banks of the country on board to offer the public an optimal digital payment experience.
“Banks and mobile wallets motivate people to open accounts so that respective service providers can facilitate their customers in conducting transactions through digital applications or internet portals,” he said.
“On the other hand, no mobile application will be launched for Raast and instead, banking applications and portals will offer payment through the Raast mechanism.”
He added that all banks will be taken on board for offering payments through the Raast mode.
Akhtar pointed out that one banking institution alone cannot develop financial infrastructure for all its customers, therefore, banks collaborated with companies offering payment solutions to enhance their services and cover all their customers. Raast is one such system, he said.
He talked about the concept of intra-operability through which payment solutions aid bank customers in withdrawing money from even those ATMs that do not belong to their respective banking institution. However, it comes with a fee.
“Intra-operability exists in the telecom sector as well, which lets consumers make calls from local networks while they are abroad and that too comes with a fee,” he said. “If intra-operability is compromised, it is the customer who suffers.”
He emphasised that Raast is aimed at resolving the issues present in account-to-account intra-operability among banks.
The Inter Bank Fund Transfer system is underutilised in Pakistan because of high fee and complicated procedures.
Detailing about the arduous procedures, he said that to transfer funds, a customer needs the name of banking institution and 10-14 digit account number of the other party. “This information needs to be verified and finally a high fee is charged for the transfer, which discourages micro transactions through this mode altogether.”
According to him, intra-operability should be a seamless experience and that is exactly what Raast plans to achieve.
He added that a directory is planned to be created in the Raast system, which will simplify payment addresses for swift fund transfer.
The directory will allot an alias to the accountholder, which will make it easier to trace the person and transfer money between two accounts in different banking institutions.
“There will either be a low fee or no fee at all on the intra-bank fund transfer through Raast, which will act as a massive incentive for consumers,” he said.
The official said that the system’s simplicity coupled with the directory is what has made it unique.
He elaborated that there will be three use cases for the payment system.
In the first case, the government can use Raast to pay stock dividends, government salaries and payments under the Ehsaas programme.
Moving on to the second case, he said person-to-person use of the system will allow the transfer of amounts between two individual accounts. However, this mechanism is yet to be activated. Third case is the use of Raast by a merchant.
He added that if a merchant receives digital payment, then banks take two to five days to settle the amount, which can impact the cash flow for businessmen, particularly those who have to buy merchandise on a daily basis.
Raast will soon launch a merchant scheme similar to Visa with excellent efficiency, he said. Raast has the capacity to operate multiple settlement processes per day and merchants will receive their amounts on the same day.
Finally, he explained, there will be request-to-pay option that will enable merchants to demand payment for products through the service so that they receive the exact amount digitally, which eliminates chances of fraud.
He added that the customer has to approve the request and money will be transferred to a merchant’s account from his account.
“Take for example that a merchant sold goods worth Rs600. He will make a request to the customer through Raast to pay Rs600 digitally and the customer has to approve the request to make payment,” he said. “This way, there is no chance of fraud or underpayment.”
He voiced hope that the request-to-pay option will enhance consumer experience.
A source in the technology sector said that the introduction of Raast is a great step forward for Pakistan as it will help reduce transaction time for digital payments.
“It will also help steer the adoption of digital payments in the country,” he said. “Raast will lead to additional efficiency in the digital payment infrastructure of Pakistan.”
Published in The Express Tribune, January 26th, 2021.


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San Jose -- Massana Inc., a three-year old DSP technology company, has unveiled a licensable DSP coprocessor that provides 200 mips performance.
The company introduced the FILU-200 series of DSP coprocessor cores on Wednesday at the Microprocessor Forum here. The FILU-200 is a performance improvement over the company's existing FILU-50 core, which provides 50 mips performance.
Massana is also offering the FILU-200 derivative called FILU-DMT, which enables implementation of the G.lite standard for xDSL modems.
The Massana coprocessors are designed to handle DSP-intensive functions when combined with any standard RISC processor, said Brian Murray, vice president of engineering for the company.
The FILU-200 separates the control and signal flow by implementing signal processing on a dedicated DSP engine and the control on the RISC processor, thereby "hiding" the complexity often associated with using DSPs, Murray said.
The FILU-200 inte grates dual ALU and dual MAC execution units, has been licensed to two unnamed companies and is currently being integrated into an SOC design, Murray said.
Founded in Dublin, Ireland, in 1996, Massana is in the process of relocating its headquarters to Campbell, Calif. The company said it will retain its primary design efforts in Dublin.


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Atlas Obscura wants to be profitable before raising funds in a tricky media market
Atlas Obscura wants to turn a profit this year before it raises another funding round, at a time when publishers are facing lower valuations and pickier investors as deal activity slows.
Marketers weigh the cons of working with Google Ad Manager amid Justice Department’s new lawsuit
When is it time to back away?
Publishers report Q1 ad revenue is pacing 10-25% behind forecasts
Publishers are facing a slow start to Q1 and sales teams have a lot of work to do to regain lost time.
SponsoredHow ad tech is tackling waste by optimizing supply chains
Sponsored by Bidtellect The programmatic and digital advertising industry is well aware of the inefficiencies in buying and selling — from auction duplication and volume bias to multi-integrations and reselling — but how did it get this out of control? How can we fix it? A redundant, multiple-step process to ad delivery has become the norm, […]
WTF is cookie stuffing?
Fraud is a well-documented pox on digital advertising, but it’s also an issue for publishers and marketers working together on affiliate marketing deals, too. One of the more tried-and-true techniques is cookie stuffing.
Bloomberg, Axios, Politico, other business publishers rethink subscriber retention during the economic downturn
Premium publishers, like POLITICO, Axios and Bloomberg, have to make sure their fees are still considered a necessity as readers recalculate their spending and companies recalculate their expense budgets.
The line between fringe and mainstream, at least insofar as hyperlocal news coverage goes, is getting harder and harder to find.
After announcing its intention to hire 800 full-time journalists in a press release issued last week, and despite a class action suit brought against AOL/HuffPo by the site’s unpaid bloggers, Forbes is reporting that the AOL-owned hyperlocal news organization has directed its local editors to recruit 8,000 new bloggers by the end of this week in anticipation of the launch of Patch’s new blog platform.
This is not the first time that Patch has taken a new tack in its quest to become a hyperlocal juggernaut. At a panel discussion on hyperlocal news in February, Patch president Warren Webster characterized the news organization’s goal as “improving communities and the lives of residents through information.” He described a syndicate of news sites in which professional journalists with ties to the communities they cover were paid to cover local news. It was seen by some as a category killer – when Patch put down stakes in a community, the local blogosphere often shriveled up. The company purchased news aggregator Outside.in in March because, it turned out, creating content to fill hundreds of local sites, even when content generated by freelancers being paid $40 per article, was very expensive.
This is a significant shift in direction. The problem with hyperlocal news has been it’s very difficult to do at scale while maintaining a sufficient quality to attract advertisers. AOL’s plan runs the risk of severely diluting the quality on Patch, which is already not exactly the place for Pulitzer-winning reporting.
According to the Forbes article, when issuing the new directive, Patch editor in chief Brian Farnham told Patch’s local editors, “The introduction of blogging on our sites is far more than just the release of a new feature. It is a full-on course correction heading Patch in the direction we want to go.” The move is almost certainly designed to increase the buzz-worthiness of Patch’s local coverage by tapping into local, hot-button issues without increasing freelance budgets. Although local businesses spend $130 billion a year on advertising, Patch has not yet figured out how to make hyperlocal sites profitable.
In a statement, Patch quibbled with the notion that it is changing direction — or that the move will do anything but improve the content.
“Our goal in bringing bloggers aboard is to add as many local perspectives as we can to our sites. From day one, Patch has been committed to connecting our readers with their communities – and with each other – and adding so many new voices to our sites is not a change in direction, but additive to our original, and steadfast, strategy of offering our users the most robust and interactive sites we can. Aside from the blog, to which we hope thousands of people will contribute, we will also continue to operate and build a journalistic enterprise with hundreds of paid, professional journalists.”
Digiday Top Stories


text: "The standard was approved by the HomePlug board of directors. HomePlug AV is the standard that's been developed over the last year and a half. And it really extends the performance of HomePlug technology to the 200 megabit per second class range." Fast enough to share high definition video files over a home network. Melder says the first products using the technology should begin to arrive during the first few months of next year….followed by a variety of consumer electronics devices with HomePlug AV built in. And while wireless networks have gained in popularity….and certainly won't go away…. wired networks are less prone to interference and can deliver better overall performance. Bloomberg Boot Camp, I'm Fred Fishkin.


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Integrated thinking is really what goes on in an organization. Worldwide there has been a trend in recent years whereby listed companies need to become more transparent in their international activities and sustainable performance. In addition, much attention is paid to the impact of business activities on climate change.
Laws and regulations have been introduced to ensure that companies pay more attention to sustainable performance. Sustainability reporting is essential in this regard. The most surprising news in sustainability reporting is the creation of the IFRS Foundation’s Sustainability Standards Board (SSB). IFRS is the global gold standard for corporate financial reporting. The SSB announced in early 2021 that it will develop reporting standards for sustainability information that provide clarity about what is material for decision-making by investors and lenders.
In a continuously changing world in which the call for change is getting louder, this is a major step towards sustainability. Read more about Developing an integrated report, a powerful and valuable communication tool here.


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Jaguar is launching a new advertising campaign to talk about all wheel drive (AWD) technology and its powertrains on the 2013 Jaguar XF and XJ luxury sedans. The company says the campaign aims to tout the automaker's capabilities in all weather -- something one is more likely to associate with sibling Land Rover. It also supports Tata's ambitions to grow Jaguar’s presence in the United States, per a release.
“The addition of all wheel drive and V6 capabilities to our 13 MY XF and XJ is a significant boost to the brand's business potential in the United States,” said David Pryor, brand vice president, Jaguar North America, in a release. The effort is via Spark 44, an agency partly owned by Jag.
This is Jaguar’s second ad campaign this year, building on the launch of “ALIVE,” which introduced the famed British brand to luxury consumers in a new modern context and was driven by the belief that Jaguar makes the world's most instinctively rewarding performance cars.


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Cargill installs the world’s most efficient bottling line, raising the standard for sustainable edible oils packaging
State-of-the-art installation in Sidney, Ohio uses fully recyclable plastic, reduces packaging waste
(SIDNEY, OHIO) Sept. 4, 2018 – Cargill has invested over $10 million to install a state-of-the-art edible oil bottling line at its Sidney, Ohio crush and refinery facility. The line is the most efficient bottling technology of its kind, delivering an annual 75 percent capacity increase over previous lines. It also allows Cargill and its customers to deliver against their sustainability commitments by reducing packaging material waste and using fully recyclable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic.
“This investment is about raising the standard and doing what’s right for our customers,” said Ethan Theis, North American commercial leader for Cargill’s global edible oils business. “By leveraging this unique technology, we’re taking deliberate steps to operate in a more efficient, sustainable way.”
The bottling line also includes smart technology to assess packaging elements and fill heights, ultimately reducing material loss and supporting increased efficiency. Combined, the benefits of the new bottling solution establish a new standard in edible oils bottling and sustainability.
The Sidney, Ohio crush and refinery is the largest volume production facility of its kind in the company’s network. Cargill’s global edible oils business plans to further leverage this technology by installing two additional lines later this year.
By adding these new capabilities, Cargill combines its refining expertise with industry-leading packaging technology to support future growth and meet the evolving needs of customers.
Molly Jaye Barber, [email protected], +1-952-334-0060
Cargill’s 160,000 employees across 70 countries work relentlessly to achieve our purpose of nourishing the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way. Every day, we connect farmers with markets, customers with ingredients, and people and animals with the food they need to thrive. We combine 154 years of experience with new technologies and insights to serve as a trusted partner for food, agriculture, financial and industrial customers in more than 125 countries. Side-by-side, we are building a stronger, sustainable future for agriculture.


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New Delhi– Food ordering and delivery chain Foodpanda India on Monday said it would invest Rs 400 crore to strengthen its network and hire 25,000 delivery riders in the next 12 to 15 months.
According to a company statement here, the investment would focus on scaling up technology and a dense logistics network which would ensure better services for customers.
“Creating a strong delivery ecosystem backed by technology is one of the most fundamental needs of the Indian food tech industry. We at Foodpanda recognise this and are investing Rs 400 crore to further strengthen our delivery network across all the metros and other key cities,” said Pranay Jivrajka, CEO, Foodpanda India.
“We are also ramping up our last mile connect by hiring 25,000 delivery riders. This is in line with our go to market strategy to make a difference in the food ordering experience of our restaurant partners, customers and riders,” he added.
In December 2017, Ola acquired Foodpanda with a commitment to infuse Rs 1,300 crore ($200 million) from parent company ANI Technologies. (IANS)


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In another move some may call “bone-headed”, the sporting goods giant announced plans to remove the hunting department from another 440 stores. As a result, hunting departments will exist in a mere 12 percent of Dick’s locations. Most of these locations are located in rural areas, according to an article in Retail Wire.
The recent move follows a series of anti-gun decisions including:
-banning the sale of guns to people under the age of 21
-banning the sale of AR-15s
-banning the sale of high-capacity magazines
“The decision, along with gun-control lobbying by Dick’s CEO Ed Stack and the destruction of $5 million in inventory as a message that such weapons should be outlawed, drew the ire of the National Rifle Association (NRA) and boycott threats from the hunting community, “ said the Retail Wire article.
The removal of the hunting departments will also include archery equipment, hunting apparel and accessories.
Calling the move a business decision, Dick’s CEO Ed Stack told analysts on his company’s fourth-quarter conference call that hunting was “probably the lowest turning, lowest margin category we have.” Stack also claimed that the category also “declined significantly over the last couple of years,” although that’s because the arrival of a Republican presidential administration reduced panic-driven purchases as gun legislation became less of a concern.
The real question is, has the category [hunting] declined so much over the last couple of years to warrant closing the department, or has Dick’s lost market share because of its anti-gun moves resulting in consumers turning to other outfitters?
As analysts expressed concern that Dick’s will look too much like a department store, the CEO saw opportunities to better reach the “female athlete” and expand golf and team sports such as soccer.


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Scottish betting shops have called for business rates relief amid fears that stores could close for good due to extraneous costs resulting from COVID-19.
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has implored the Scottish Government to follow England’s example and make betting shops eligible for rates relief thereby allowing firms, whose income slumped during the pandemic, to waive what they would normally have to pay or risk losing hundreds of independent betting shops.
In a further blow, ministers have refused to offer grant support to bookies. Retail, hospitality and leisure support grants have been offered to others in the betting and gaming industry, including amusements, bingo halls, entertainment centres and racetracks, but not betting shops.
According to Scotbet boss John Heaton, the decision not to allow bookmakers to claim business rates relief will cost his firm £400,000 at a time when takings are already down and jeopardise the survival of 30 stores in Scotland.
“We feel very frustrated we haven't had the financial support independent bookmakers in England and others in the betting and gaming sector here in Scotland have received,” said Heaton. “The sums involved are not material to the large bookmakers but, for us, it is about survival. The likely impact is that the independent sector will die and the big bookmakers carry on regardless, grateful that their independent competitors have been removed for them.”
Scotland’s move to exclude bookies from receiving government financial aid comes after the lifting of certain operating restrictions that the BGC claimed contributed to a fall in turnover of 95% compared to pre-lockdown in some stores.
BGC chief executive Michael Dugher said the organisation was “delighted” that restrictions were lifted, but is now requesting that ministers "apply to betting shops the business rates relief and grant support that others in our industry have received".
Dugher added: “These businesses employ thousands across Scotland and they deserve their Government's full support now that they are back at work. If they don't get it, many will sadly lose their jobs as their shops are forced to close. The Scottish Government needs to pull out all the stops to prevent that from happening and ensure betting shops can play their part in getting the economy back on its feet.”


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In the words of David Attenborough: “Saving our planet is now a communications challenge.”
… and we’re already seeing a shift in marketing and sustainability. In the run-up to COP26, we saw some questionable brands putting the climate crisis front and centre of their marketing mix, with organisations jumping on the bandwagon to capitalise on this moment in time. And as consumers continue to put pressure on businesses to consider their impact, this will only continue. But, environmental campaigns shouldn’t be a one-off. They shouldn’t be wheeled out when the climate crisis is in the news – sustainable practices should be part of your business 365 days a year.
So as brands continue to prioritise sustainability within their marketing communications, here’s our advice on how brands can communicate in a post COP26 world to ensure genuine cut through…
COP26 marked a shift in tone to one of urgency and anger. With government action not happening quickly enough, businesses have arguably the most important role in climate action. So, by making sure urgency and action are at the heart of your communications and by setting (and communicating) ambitious targets you’ll be able to help bring about real meaningful change.
The time for making noise is over. It’s no longer good enough to be shouting about the climate crisis with no focus on what you’re doing to help create a greener world. Brands need to be focusing on what they’re doing and what they want to change and this needs to be clear within your communications. It’s also vital brands create clear, pragmatic calls to action to let consumers know how they can get involved and follow your sustainability journey.
Reframing sustainability as an opportunity
For years sustainability has been seen as a compromise – buy less, fly less, eat less meat. While this narrative is inarguably better for the planet, it fails to mention the huge opportunities that sustainable living can bring. We need to flip the narrative and show businesses and consumers that a better world can bring us huge benefits. From job creation, competitive advantage or a better standard of living, we need to get people excited about a greener world.
With 90% of climate comms going to only 20% of people (source: Purpose Folklore), brands need to use creativity to reach people outside the echo chamber. Whether it’s art, podcasts or utilising new technologies, creatively looking at ways you can communicate can help you reach subcultures and engage with new communities. An amazing example of this at COP26 was the Route One skate exhibition ‘For Cop’s Sake’, which used art to send a powerful message from the skate community to world leaders, gathered in Glasgow.
Transparency is absolutely vital for any brand that is looking to communicate its environmental messages authentically. By being open and honest about what you’re doing (and not doing), you’ll be able to ensure your messages are received in the right way. Look, there’s no perfect brand so don’t portray yourself as one. Most organisations are at different stages of their sustainability journey so it’s vital you communicate where you are, where you’re going and how you’re going to get there.
It’s no secret that at Enviral we love stories. Whether it’s a brand video or a Founder interview, personalising your brand through stories is absolutely vital. Stories connect hearts and minds and are vital in moving people into action, they help people understand other perspectives and bring the impacts home. Stories are amazing ways to reach wider communities and explain why you’re brand is prioritising sustainability in an authentic and honest way.
Keep it simple
The climate crisis is confusing enough. It’s your job as a brand to communicate complex problems and solutions in a way that your audience understands. So, remove the jargon and use simple, direct messaging.
Whether it’s accidental or deliberate, greenwash is helping accelerate climate breakdown and with consumers more clued up on greenwash than ever, this is also detrimental to your brand. With so much information and advice around there really is no excuse for brands to be inflating their green credentials. So make sure your sustainability communications are honest and transparent. Not only this, but with the Consumer Markets Authority’s ‘Green Claims Code’ coming into effect on 1st Jan 2022, brands need to be clued up more than ever.
Include all voices
With the climate crisis affecting people disproportionately across the globe, how can we authentically talk about climate justice, discuss solutions and identify the imminent impacts if we’re not including the voices and leadership from those on the front line? It’s absolutely essential that brands include voices from all communities if they’re to reach outside the echo chamber and ensure everyone is heard. Brands have a responsibility to amplify these voices and put them front and centre of the brand.
Follow our socials for more sustainability communications tips to ensure you’re talking about your environmental journey authentically.


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A Government Minister says banning household visits could be a 'gamechanger' in curbing the spread of Covid 19.
A nationwide ban on visiting people's homes is coming into place from midnight with exceptions for things like childcare.
Level four restrictions will also come into effect for Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan, meaning all non-essential retail will shut.
Yesterday saw the highest number of Covid cases recorded in a single day at 1,095.
Higher Education Minister Simon Harris believes banning household visits is difficult but essential:


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Web Exclusive: Three B-to-B E-mail Communication Strategies
As B-to-B sales often aren’t as discount price driven as consumer sales, e-mails to a business audience can’t necessarily tout the latest promotional offer. Myriad other sales channels complicate the situation, making the decision of what and how often to e-mail even more perplexing. Following are successful e-mail communication strategies from three B-to-B catalogers and how they decide what kind of e-mails to send.
The two-year-old e-mail marketing program at this scientific equipment catalog generally is coordinated around specific events, such as catalog mailings or buying cycles, says Lynn Homann, VWR’s director of marketing communications. “If we’re selling into the food and beverage market and they’re doing grape crushing for wine,” she notes, “we make sure we target the products and the audience appropriately for that time of year.”
Homann adds that VWR e-mails not just for sales, but for awareness. “We don’t assume, just because we’re sending an e-mail out that it has to have a specific return based on dollars,” she says. “There’s obviously a soft value of making people aware of services and products.”
Mid America Motorworks
While this auto parts cataloger markets to both consumers and businesses, it only recently segregated its e-mail database to market differently to each, says Ed Coffin, director of catalog and Web marketing. “We’ve just started to send out targeted campaigns focusing on specific new products to our dealer network,” Coffin says.
By focusing e-mail efforts on specific products, Mid America has been able to increase its inventory turn considerably. “Previously, if we took a product and invested in marketing it, it took about a year before we turned that inventory,” Coffin says. “Now with e-mail, we find we’re reordering halfway through the year.”
Coffin says that 75 percent of the e-mails he sends are product announcements, with just 25 percent featuring discounts or other offers.
Carolina Biological Supply
A few years ago, this educational lab science supplies cataloger stopped mailing the print newsletter it established in 1927. In its place, the company segmented the content from the newsletter and began e-mailing it to different customer groups, says Dan James, vice president of business development.
While the e-newsletter still focuses on lab safety and science teaching tips, James notes that promotions and offers are included as well. The promotions, however, usually are aimed at driving sales for the following year. “We want to make sure we’re keeping the teacher aware of new products or things we’ve had but they hadn’t thought of using,” James says. “That’s done in anticipation of their planning for the coming year; that they might think of us and a particular product while they’re planning.”


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The Apple rumor mill ramped up to full speed this week with reports that Apple has a new iPad model set for release this fall. According to Joshua Topolsky at This Is My Next, Apple’s newest tablet will be called the “iPad HD,” with the device expected to boast a screen with double the resolution (2048×1536) of the iPad 2 — a rumor we’ve heard before, but it hasn’t been particularly believable until now.
Sources say that the device will be for the high-end “pro” market (meaning its price points will well exceed that of the iPad2), possibly for professional producers of video and photo content — though that doesn’t mean anybody with a big enough bank roll can’t enjoy the shiny new tablet. Apple is said to have an iPad-friendly version of either Final Cut Pro or Aperture to go along with the iPad HD. And the device “is specifically said to not be the iPad 3, rather a complimentary piece of the iPad 2 line,” writes Topolsky, similar to the MacBook-MacBook Pro relationship.
News of a new, high-end iPad is corroborated by FBR Capital analyst Craig Berger, who says that Apple likely has an “iPad 2 Plus” in store for the holiday season. That device, says Berger, will have a pixel density of 250-300 ppi, which adds more weight to the double-resolution screen. Berger stipulates, however, that “we await more confirming data points from other supply chain contacts before fully believing a new iPad device is coming in 2011.”
Topolsky’s report follows a big story from the Wall Street Journal that asserts Apple indeed has a thinner and lighter iPhone 5 in the works. While many have speculated that the next iPhone would look essentially the same as the iPhone 4, Topolsky says that we will in fact see an entirely redesigned next-gen iPhone. The reason for the iPhone 4 look-a-like rumors is because Apple has been testing the iPhone 5 components in old iPhone 4 cases.
The reason Apple is ditching the iPhone 4 design so quickly is because high-level Apple executives are tired of it, and “are ready to move on to an entirely new product,” writes Topolsky.
Whether or not all of this will play out in September remains to be seen. But Apple’s plans appear to be coming into sharper focus, even if a few of the details remain blurry.
(Image shows an iPad concept design, not the iPad HD)
- How to use your iPad as a second monitor for your Mac
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- I reviewed 20 phones in 2023. These are my 5 favorites


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As high inflation rates and an uncertain economy continue to impact tourists’ spending habits following years of peak-pandemic visitation in the Flathead Valley, revenue is down at Whitefish Mountain Resort (WMR) this summer and families are noticeably choosing more economical vacation packages, said spokesperson Chad Sokol.
Instead of reserving luxurious suites at the mountain’s lodging facilities, visitors are choosing single occupancy hotel rooms, tourists are booking the cheaper scenic chairlift rides to the Summit House, and there is lower demand for the more expensive zipline tours.
“We’re seeing a shift toward smaller family trips,” Sokol said. “There is a steady stream of people up here, but we are seeing a plateau. There’s a hangover from the pandemic years and things are returning to normal.”
Diane Medler, executive director of the visitor bureau Discover Kalispell, said destination data and surveys revealed that while visitors remain enthusiastic about travel, high prices and events like wildfires and drought have made them apprehensive.
As historically low water levels on Flathead Lake have dominated discussions among lawmakers in northwest Montana, Medler said there is a growing perception from visitors that they can’t recreate on the lake, despite the minimal impacts.
“It’s impacting some larger boats and docks but there are still many ways to recreate,” Medler said. “Far West tours are still running; fishing guides are still running. We’re trying to get the word out that Flathead Lake is still a great summer recreation spot.”
Streamflows in northwest Montana are also low for this time of year following a weak snowfall this winter and fast runoff this spring, with levels dropping about a month ahead of schedule.
As of Aug. 7, the Middle Fork of the Flathead River – a watershed that sees heavy commercial use – registered water levels of 695 cubic feet per second (cfs). The median level for this date is typically 1,500 cfs, according to United States Geological Survey data.
“Our river levels right now are typical for the beginning of September,” Glacier Guides and Montana Raft owner Denny Gignoux said. “We still do river trips in September – the whitewater isn’t as big and there are a lot more rocks. But it’s still gorgeous and people love to go rafting.”
Gignoux moves fishing trips to the mornings at low water levels, or he’ll find alternative river stretches to fit his clients’ needs, but his operation doesn’t shift too dramatically during drier conditions.
“Running a business in western Montana – you have to be flexible,” Gignoux said.
Additionally, area wildfires such as the Ridge Fire have prompted some recreational closures, including access to the Hungry Horse Reservoir, the South Fork of the Flathead River, the Spotted Bear Ranger District, and F.H. Stoltze timberland. To that end, Medler is working to educate visitors about where they can go.
But aside from the summer’s weather events, Medler said data is showing that tourism trends have returned to 2019 levels and business owners are no longer seeing a high demand during the shoulder months.
“June was soft,” Medler said. “We heard that from a variety of businesses. Hotel occupancy was down, short-term rental occupancy was down, and we heard that from retail and restaurants. But July has picked up and hotel occupancy is trending to be 4% over last year.”
Julie Mullins, executive director of Explore Whitefish, said she also noticed a lighter spring compared to the last few years.
During the height of the pandemic, business owners noted that once demand spiked, it remained at a sustained high through the shoulder seasons. But that trend has since diminished, too, with remote workers and footloose students returning to in-person settings.
According to Visa destination data, overall spending in Whitefish was down $4.5 million year-to-date from January to June in 2023.
“We’re hearing from our members that things are less manic – but solid,” Mullins said. “It’s not as crazy and it’s very manageable and they are still performing well.”
Traditional lodging in Whitefish has been flat with hotel occupancy from April to June up less than 1% compared to last year, according to Smith Travel Research data. June’s occupancy rate was at 72%, up almost 1% from the previous June while the average room price was $206.41.
Meanwhile, short-term rental occupancy within Whitefish city limits has dipped dramatically, according to AirDNA data, and was only at 49% in the fourth quarter – down 12% from the previous year.
“I’m interpreting this as the Covid bubble has burst,” Mullins said.
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Mark Cerny has said that those with a 1080p HD TV will also benefit from owning a PS4 Pro console.
"We actually started thinking about the new console pretty much as soon as PlayStation 4 shipped," Cerny said in the video interview seen below.
"It was clear that during this generation 4k TV penetration would become pretty significant at some point, and we wanted to see if we could get something out there in the market to support it.
"Once we realised that the increased processing power that was necessary for 4K could be used to make the graphics better on HDTV as well, the PS4 Pro simply became a must."
Apparently the game experience is enhanced in any number of ways with an ordinary HDTV, Something which we are sure Sony will make a bigger deal of as we get closer to launch.


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The Trouble With Tomatoes
A 26-year-old farmworker is taking on Taco Bell in a boycott
aimed at the fast food chain's partnership with an exploitative
tomato producer. Mica Rosenberg writes in
Tolerance.org that Lucas Benitez, the founder of the
Florida-based Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), has launched a
nationwide protest of the horrible working conditions perpetuated
by the Six L's Packing Company, one of the nation's largest
distributors of tomatoes.
Rosenberg recounts the long history of unfair labor practices and poverty-level wages the Immokalee farmworkers have suffered, a situation that continues today. 'Workers who plant, cultivate and harvest the state's tomatoes are paid 40 to 45 cents for every thirty-two-pound bucket they pick, a wage that has been virtually stagnant for the past 20 years,' writes Rosenberg. 'According to a recent National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS), the median personal income for farmworkers is only $5,000 to $7,500 a year.'
Inspired by the public attention gained by the Nike sweatshops campaign, Benitez started his Taco Bell Truth Tour in March, when demonstrators travelled across 15 cities to Taco Bell's corporate headquarters to bring these conditions to the attention of Taco Bell representatives. The CIW has demanded that Six L's and Taco Bell's tomato suppliers increase farmworkers' wages. Indeed, if Taco Bell would pay just a penny more per bushel of tomatoes, farmworker's standard of living would be signficantly increased.


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Topic: iPhone 4S
10/22/2012, 10:10 am
Apple is said to have provided its U.S. carrier partners with a pre-release build of iOS 6.0.1, an update for its mobile operating system that will reportedly address a graphical glitch with the virtual keyboard, as well as issues that would cause the camera's flash to not go off when expected.
10/10/2012, 12:10 pm
Consumer Reports on Wednesday declared that Apple's iPhone 5 is no more susceptible to lens flare than other smartphone-based cameras, including the latest devices running Google Android.
10/03/2012, 04:10 pm
A year after Siri first launched, Apple's personal assistant still falls short when accomplishing basic tasks that one might assume would be a priority for the company, such as finding a local Apple Store.
10/03/2012, 01:10 am
iFixit and HealthyStuff teamed up to analyze the level of toxic chemicals found in 36 mobile phones, and found modern handsets to contain fewer harmful chemicals than their predecessors with Apple's iPhone 4S and new iPhone 5 among the least toxic.
09/27/2012, 03:09 am
A 91-page thread on Apple's Support Communities webpage illustrates what appears to be a significant problem with upgrading iPhone 4S and third-generation iPads to the company's newest mobile operating system, iOS 6.
09/25/2012, 03:09 pm
While many around the world have slammed Apple's new mapping software in iOS 6, the company has built a special version of Maps for China that has been praised as a "huge improvement over Google Maps," though it lacks some new features due to Chinese laws.
09/24/2012, 09:09 am
Google-owned Motorola Mobility is attempting to capitalize on dissatisfaction with Apple's new iOS 6 Maps with an advertisement pushing the phrase "iLost" on Twitter.
09/21/2012, 10:09 am
A survey of lines at Apple stores in New York, Boston and Minneapolis found that crowds for the iPhone 5 are 83 percent larger than they were for the iPhone 4S, which has led one analyst to predict sales of 8 million iPhones this launch weekend.
09/20/2012, 02:09 pm
Garmin and Embark announced on Thursday that they have updated their iPhone navigation software to add public transportation features to the new Maps in iOS 6.
09/20/2012, 08:09 am
Samsung has indicated they are likely to add Apple's new iPhone 5 to the list of devices involved in a patent infringement suit between the two companies.
09/19/2012, 12:09 pm
iOS 6, the latest major update to Apple's mobile operating system, is now available as an over-the-air download on compatible devices, including the iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, third-generation iPad, and iPad 2.
09/18/2012, 12:09 pm
A trio of digital rights advocacy groups have indicated to AT&T they will file a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission over the carrier's decision to block FaceTime calls over cellular data networks for some customers.
09/17/2012, 10:09 am
With Apple's iPhone 5 already off to a record setting start, market watchers have expressed greater confidence that Apple could sell as many as 10 million units before the current quarter ends on September 29.
09/13/2012, 01:09 pm
The iPhone 3GS has officially been discontinued by Apple, the company confirmed on Thursday, and has been replaced by the iPhone 4 as its free on-contract handset.
09/12/2012, 04:09 pm
The final build of iOS 6, and presumably the same version that will be publicly released next Wednesday, is now available to members of Apple's development community.
09/12/2012, 02:09 pm
With the launch of the iPhone 5, the 16-gigabyte iPhone 4S will drop to $99 with a two-year contract, while an 8-gigabyte iPhone 4 will be available for free.
09/06/2012, 01:09 pm
The arrival of a new iPhone model will push existing models down to lower price points, while the iPhone 3GS will no longer be offered by Apple, according to a new report.
09/04/2012, 11:09 am
For the first time since it launched last October, Apple's iPhone 4S was not the top selling smartphone in the U.S., as the newly released Samsung Galaxy S III took the top spot in the month of August.
08/31/2012, 08:08 am
Pictures claiming to show Apple's next iPhone continue to surface ahead of an expected Sept. 12 announcement, with a new series of shots showing side-by-side comparisons with the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS.
08/22/2012, 09:08 am
AT&T on Wednesday published a public letter defending its decision to block FaceTime calls over 3G for customers who have not switched to its new shared data plans, arguing that its policy is in compliance with the FCC's net neutrality rules, because AT&T does not offer its own competing preloaded video chat application.


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Thou shalt steal, Father? Priest makes off with $895 Neiman Marcus photo frame
Busted: Father Giuseppe Savaia was caught picking up an $895 picture frame at high-end retailer Neiman Marcus
A South Florida priest was arrested after surveillance video footage captured him stealing from high-end retailer Neiman Marcus.
Father Giuseppe Savaia is seen picking up an $895 picture frame at the brand's Boca Raton, Florida store in December.
He then walks out of shot, still clutching the frame.
An employee told police she saw Savaia tuck the frame inside his jacket and leave the store without paying for it.
The store did not immediately notify police, staff said, because they couldn't identify the thief. Instead they distributed his picture to surrounding stores.
And lucky they did. Six days later Savaia was arrested at a Sawgrass Mills branch on a shoplifting charge after he tried to pinch two Italian coats, valued at aroudn $400 each according to wptv.com.
The disgraced priest has since temporarily withdrawn from the church.
On June 30 he sent a letter to parishioners in which he wrote: 'As some of you are aware, two accusations of shoplifting have been made against me for which I maintain my innocence.
'I was taken into custody for one in December and not even aware of the other until this week at which time I voluntarily surrendered myself. That is why my name again appeared on the police record this week.
'I apologise to the Parish of St. Clare for the embarrassment and confusion this has caused.
Scroll down for video
Surveillance: He was seen handling frames before tucking one inside his jacket and walking out the store without paying
Busted: He was arrested after another store caught him stealing two $400 jackets
'At the request of the Bishop, I am taking time away to tend to personal duress as well as to comply with the proper legal process in establishing my innocence.
'I ask for your prayers and understanding. Know of my prayers for all of you.
Savaia is facing charges of grand theft and retail theft.
In a statement the Diocese said: 'We're just working with him and he's taking time off while he's trying to resolve this issue.'
VIDEO: Watch the CCTV... Thou shalt not... steal?...
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(BW) Key Executives Join Uniden America to Support Ongoing Brand Growth; Sales Increase, Expansion Supported with New Executive Appointments
Published 1:05 pm, Wednesday, June 14, 2006
FORT WORTH, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 14, 2006--Uniden America Corporation, a leading manufacturer of wireless consumer electronics, today announced additions and promotions to its executive team to support the brand's increasingly broad presence in the consumer electronics marketplace. Kip Sullivan, Brian Tompkins, Rex Holloway, Chris Conrad and Rich Galasso will help oversee the company's sales and new product development marketing programs.
Recently, Sullivan was appointed as the vice president of sales. He will oversee the company's largest retail channels in his new role. Tompkins will bring his consumer electronics expertise to the Uniden team as a sales manager responsible for strategic direct accounts as well as Canadian and Latin American business. Holloway, who has been with the company for more than six years, has been promoted to senior director of new product development. His new role includes managing company development into new product categories.
Conrad also joins Uniden as the director of product development after 12 years with competitor V Tech/AT&T, and will help oversee the company's expanding cordless phone category. And, after more than two years with the company, Galasso has been appointed as national sales manager of the marine division. He will help oversee sales and retail for Uniden's comprehensive marine communications portfolio.
"We are so pleased to add talent like Kip, Brian and Chris to the executive team and recognize Rex and Rich for their long-term commitment and tremendous value to our company," said Rich Tosi, president of Uniden America Corporation. "Our decision to continue to build a strong executive team at Uniden is the result of the company's continued growth and consistent achievements over the past several years. We plan to further elevate the brand's status and our innovative consumer electronics portfolio in the near future."
According to NPD Group, Uniden is the fifth most successful telecom brand at point-of-sale and is one of the top manufacturers of cordless telephones in the United States.
Uniden America Corporation, the North American subsidiary of Japan-based Uniden Corporation, manufactures and markets wireless consumer electronic products including cordless telephones, business telecommunications systems, networking and data products, Bearcat(R) scanners, FRS/GMRS radios, marine VHF radios and other wireless personal communications products. Based in Fort Worth, Texas, Uniden sells its products through dealers and distributors throughout North, Central and South America.


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ask, Google makes more headlines with their Doodles with their tools and services. Yet the company did not abandon their plans to become the Internet grabbing power ends as if Skynet Terminator.Not long ago we talked about G-Drive , storage service in the cloud. This week, just as ending March, reveal new elements that could show what the company wants to shape with this raid. The first detail that stands out is its release date, between rumors for the first days of April. Although many media give free advertising saying it is the direct competitor of Dropbox or Skydrive Microsoft , if we take as reference qualities storage, lags far behind these services.
Was he talking about a capacity of 1GB free , the same figure that Google broke paradigms to enter the market emails couple of evenings ago but now comes short when measured even with the virtual record Amazon Kindle (about 5 GB).
interface would be equal, not ie identical to that of Google Docs and would be supplemented with both a desktop application and the web, although not yet known if fully integrated with the entire ecosystem of the company (taking into account the emergence of Play and unification terms of service, it probably is).
The added value that distinguishes it in all this economic move would be included within Google Apps , the packet business is handled between the mode of payment and gratuity. Also add an API that would allow third parties to use this (limited) storage.So far, continue to launch tear gas, but Google has created expectations necessary to market their products. Suffice to see if this is sufficient to avoid falling into the same black hole which have already fallen inventions like Google wave. Via:-Business Insider


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Why mince words? Data is definitely king now in the rapidly-evolving world of media buying.
And Lisa Donohue should know. The Starcom CEO sits atop one of the nation's largest media buying companies.
As Donohue recently told a group of Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management students during a Q & A session, much has changed since she got into the business 25 years ago fresh out of Brown University.
But towering above all else that has changed is data, which is now is at the heart of everything that happens in the media business. Questioned by Kellogg professor Julie Hennessy, Donohue readily conceded that data wields "huge power." So much so, in fact, that data analytics is now the fastest-growing unit within Starcom.
Whoa. Some might argue data analytics is way too boring to be hot. But not Donohue.
Data, she insisted, is what unlocks a ton of secrets that Starcom and its clients, such as Northfield, IL.-based Kraft Foods (NASDAQ: KRFT), use to develop stronger, more engaging brands. Over the past nine months, Starcom has helped Kraft, for instance, understand and leverage the vast amounts of data the packaged foods behemoth collects — data that allows Kraft to connect with its customers in more effective ways.
As powerful as data has become in the media business, it isn't the only thing that has changed the media landscape. Something called creativity is now a key aspect of the business too. Indeed, media buyers absolutely must be creative in the way they approach their task. Explained Donohue: "Technology today has just exploded what's possible. You can create anything based on what technology allows us to do."
While data and technology are two major forces driving change, media buyers now have a whole menu of ways to connect brands and consumers that weren't there 25 years ago. Noted Donohue: "If the only way a brand connects with the consumer is through advertising, then they're not maximizing their advantage. You have to be able to take advantage of vast forms of content, be it experiences or live events."
Finally Kellogg professor Hennessy asked Donohue to talk about what the media executive wished people coming to work for her today knew how to do that they don't know how to do today.
And Donohue answered by saying: "Just continue to learn how to think. I know that might sound a little bit odd, but how to think about things, how to amalgamate a significant amount of information, how to look at trends, anomalies, how to determine hypotheses and what data can help you solve those. Really how to come at something from every angle."


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U.S. retail stocks bucked the broader trend and traded modestly higher today as most global indices ended their trading session down.
The S&P 500 Retailing Industry Group rose 0.2 percent to 898.25 while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.1 percent to 15,618.22.
Among the top gainers were Michael Kors Holdings, which rose 5.8 percent to $79.13 and hit a market capitalization of $16 billion after the company topped second-quarter expectations and raised its fiscal 2014 guidance. Also up were American Apparel Inc., rising 4.8 percent to $1.31, and Fossil Group Inc., increasing 2.9 percent to $134.02. Fossil reported a 16.8 percent rise in third-quarter profits after the equity markets closed.
Among those losing ground were The Bon-Ton Stores Inc., down 4 percent to $11.17, and Pacific Sunwear of California Inc., off 2.6 percent to $2.58.
The day’s trading sessions began in Asia with the Nikkei 225 in Tokyo up 0.2 percent to 14,225.37, while the Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong fell 0.7 percent to 23,038.95.
The European markets closed down after the European Commission downgraded its forecast for economic growth in the euro zone in 2014 to 1.1 percent, down from the 1.2 percent it expected previously. The FTSE MIB in Milan fell the furthest, by 1.1 percent to 19,091.93, followed by the CAC 40 in Paris, which dropped 0.8 percent to 4,253.34. London’s FTSE 100 and Frankfurt’s DAX each lost 0.3 percent, to 6,746.84 and 9,009.11, respectively.
Retail and luxury stocks were mostly down in the region. Burberry and LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, which both lost 1.6 percent, to 15 pounds and 139.65 euros, respectively. Kering dropped 1.8 percent to 165.30 euros.
Among the stocks gaining ground were Gemfields, up 7.4 percent to 0.35 pounds, after it reported a “solid” quarter at its emerald and ruby mines in Mozambique, and Mulberry, 5.2 percent to 10.51 pounds. Marks & Spencer increased 4.5 percent to 5.09 pounds after it said first-half pre-tax profits were up 0.1 percent to 280.6 million pounds, or $432.1 million, in the period ended Sept. 28, boosted by extraordinary gains, which included property disposals in London.
The pounded traded at $1.60 against the dollar while the euro fetched $1.35.
Donatella Versace will receive the International Award at the 2018 @cfda awards, which were announced tonight. Tap link in bio for a list of all the nominees and honorees. #wwdnews #wwdfashion (📷: @rahirezvanistudio )
The 2018 @cfda Awards nominees are out! @virgilabloh for @off____white for is nominated for Womenswear Designer of the Year. Tap link in bio for all the nominees. #wwdnews #wwdfashion ( 📷: @simonelezzi)
@chanelofficial is suing high-end vintage retailer @whatgoesaroundnyc for trademark infringement, a move that could cost the retailer millions. The French fashion house claims that it’s not only unintentionally sold counterfeit goods on occasion, but that it’s “gone out of its way to create an association with Chanel,” which does not exist. Read Chanel’s statement on WWD.com #wwdnews (@aitorrosasphoto)
Exclusive: Guillaume Henry has left @ninaricci, the fashion house said on Thursday. “After three years of mutually gratifying creative collaboration, Nina Ricci and Guillaume Henry have together decided that the designer will depart the house after the presentation of the fall-winter 2018-19 collection,” Ricci said in a statement. Get all the details on WWD.com #wwdfashion (📷: @aitorrosasphoto)
“When Bella enters a room all heads turn,” said @peterphilipsmakeup, creative and image director for @diormakeup. Last night, the two celebrated the product launch of Dior’s Lacquer Plump in Los Angeles with other celebs like @parisjackson, @winnieharlow and more. Head to WWD.com to see the rest of the photos from the night (📷: @chelsealaurenla) #wwdeye
“These shirts are an art form, it’s about getting the message out to as many people as you can. It breaks down the pretentiousness of the art gallery,” says Kumasi Sadiki, cofounder of @ebayontheblock, a store that sells merchandise by New York artists who are shifting their attention to clothes as a wearable medium. Pictured here is a design by artist @joegarvey_, one of the first to spearhead this movement. Head to WWD.com to read @mistywhitesidell full story on how their designs have become merch for the underground elite #wwdfashion
@netaporter is dedicating a part of its website – called the Fine Jewelry and Watch Destination – to highlight its high-end jewelry. The hub will feature products on the site, as well as incorporate styling advice and educational content about high-priced jewelry items. Get more details on WWD.com. #wwdaccessories
For “The Cher Show,” an upcoming musical based on @cher’s life and career, @bobmackie is once again collaborating with the singer in designing the costumes. For decades, Mackie has designed glitzy stage costumes and red carpet looks for the 71-year-old Grammy winner. Pictured here is a sketch of some of the pieces in the wardrobe of the musical, which is set to debut in Chicago on June 12 before making its way to Broadway #wwdeye


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Having established itself as a success in the aviation industry, it seems that Boeing is ready to try its luck elsewhere. The company has readied ‘Boeing Black’ which, it claims, is an ultra-secure smartphone built with modified Android.
Nokia finally made its debut into the Android arena with its recent offerings of Nokia X, X+ and XL smartphones. Although these handsets will have no access to Google Play, Nokia claims that 75% of the Android apps will be available on them.
The curious case of Windows Phone continues to pique the interest of tech enthusiasts. Rumors have it that Microsoft has plans of somehow offering the Android apps on the Windows Phone devices. The big question is, is this good or bad?
Google’s Android platform is a favorite among the authors of malicious apps and malware. Being open source, it’s just an easy target. If you use Android, the best thing to do is install a good enough firewall to ward off these security threats.
We have been hearing rumors about the possibility of Nokia launching an Android handset. The speculation is finally reaching its culmination as a new WSJ report claims that Nokia will finally unveil an Android smartphone this month.
When it comes to smartphone chargers, users typically stick to the brand of the handset. If it’s an iPhone, only an charger would do. Same goes for other handsets. But ‘The Jump’ may change the game by offering ultra-portability coupled with other smart features.
Google has tried to significantly improve the security of its Google Play store in the last year or so. However, Kaspersky Labs has now warned that there are still 10 million possibly malicious Android apps out there.
Normally, you would need an iOS device to send and receive iMessages. However, thanks to a brilliant iOS jailbreak app, you can now get your iMessages straight to an Android or Windows Phone device as well.
Google and Samsung have had their differences at times but the two have been the key players in the Android arena. In that context, it is no surprise that both companies have signed a 10-year patent licensing agreement.
Chrome’s desktop manifestation has been very helpful for professionals in that it lets them keep track of multiple computers using a single Google ID. Now, the same feature may is expected to arrive on iOS and Android devices soon.
Mobile devices are routinely used today to access internet, keep track of businesses and perform different financial transactions. Samsung Knox is an excellent app that secures your Android handset by creating a virtual operating system.
HP was once included among the league of smartphone vendors but then the company’s offerings failed miserably and it quit. Now, reports have it that the company is planning to launch a new smartphone of its own as soon as next week.
When it comes to smartphones, Sony has rooted for Android till the deep end. Despite no significant success, Sony continues to create Android-based handsets. But the company has now hinted that it may try its hands at other alternatives.
Android is an increasingly popular OS which, thanks to its open-source nature, has found widespread use. Intel is now hoping to make it big in the PC industry by pushing for such computers which can run both Android and Windows.
The Tech Journal is a technology news website that covers consumer technology news. We aim to provide you with latest information about what's going in the consumer technology industry. Over time, we want to grow in a technology news portal providing you with news, information and tools to help make your way through the tech clutter.


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The Recycling Association of Minnesota announced a statewide holiday light recycling program starting Nov. 15. Minnesotans can drop off old or broken holiday lights at Ace Hardware and other participating locations throughout the holiday season.
Wild win battle of NHL's hottest teams, extend winning streak to six
Kirill Kaprizov delivered a shootout winner to take down the Maple Leafs.
Popular Minneapolis taproom to start requiring proof of vaccination
The new policy will only apply to indoor service.
Vikings downgrade Eric Kendricks to out against Lions
The Vikings have also activated Michael Pierce from injured reserve.
Minnesotan sentenced after assaulting man with baseball bat
Marshall Wayne Boshey was sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release.
Target's gift card discount is back, but for this weekend only
The fine print: for Target Circle members only (but membership is free).
Minneapolis teen arrested in St. Cloud after fleeing police in stolen vehicle
The vehicle was stolen in a car-jacking in Minneapolis Thursday.
Watch: St. Cloud State's Jami Krannila uses 'The Michigan' to score against North Dakota
Gopher fans avert your eyes.
Prosecutor seeks new charge against Duluth officer who shot through man's door
Tyler Leibfried's trial is set to begin early next year.
Winter storm warnings issued with heavy snow set to slam MN
Parts of northern Minnesota could see more than a foot of snow, but there won't be much in the Twin Cities.
St. Cloud suspect now charged in two local murder cases
Both murders happened within a day of each other in June.
This MN nonprofit will recycle your old and broken holiday lights
Recycle your lights and help provide jobs for people with disabilities.
Staff to recommend Minneapolis move to single-sort recycling
The city’s recycling program requires residents to separate recyclables into separate bags. That has led to an 18 percent recycling rate in Minneapolis, well below the national average and stagnating, according to a city study. A move to single sort could improve the city's recycling rate and reduce costs.
Best Buy will now recycle your old electronics for free
Richfield-based Best Buy is eliminating its $10 recycling fee for old electronics. The free-recycling offer is available at all Best Buy big-box locations. The company says it collected 83 million pounds of electronics last year.
Holiday cheer: analyst thinks gas prices will keep falling
Even though crude oil prices are going up, the cost of gas is headed south for the winter. Prices at the pump are down seven cents in a week and the forecast is they'll keep dropping with the temperatures.
Best Buy will ship for free this holiday season
The Richfield-based retailer announced a free-shipping offer for all online orders from Nov.1 thru Dec. 27. Best Buy offered a similar service last holiday season with some restrictions, but now the retailer will ship any item from their online inventory.
You Can Get BMTN Special Offers!


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TRADER TIPS: City insiders say buy Keywords Studios, but sell Robinsons owner Britvic
BUY THIS: Keyword Studios
Berenberg thinks it is time to buy Keywords Studios after it posted a profit update ahead of the bank’s expectations.
The firm, which provides technical services to the video games industry, expects sales of £132m and profits of £19.9m this year.
Looking to the future: Keywords Studios provides technical services to the video games industry
Berenberg has increased its price target by 20p to 2040p.
SELL THIS: Britvic
Investors should sell shares in Robinsons owner Britvic, claim analysts at Shore Capital, who raised concerns about the firm’s minimal sales growth in the three months to December 24.
Overall revenue at the company edged up by just 0.7 per cent over the period, as sales of its non-fizzy drinks tumbled by 6.6 per cent and it struggled to attract overseas customers.
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When it comes to Internet business models with recurring revenue, both investors’ and entrepreneurs’ ears tend to perk up. A frequent topic at industry and business school events, many future leaders are eager to understand how companies using these particular models are succeeding or failing at the revenue game. Brent Chudoba, our Vice President & General Manager of SurveyMonkey Audience, was recently invited to be a panel speaker at Cyberposium 18–the largest MBA technology conference in the world, organized entirely by current MBA students at Harvard Business School (HBS).
Brent and his fellow panelists discussed some of the challenges that subscription-model businesses currently face and shared their insights with conference attendees on how these challenges may affect their future strategies.
It’s all yours, Brent!
A few months ago, I had the honor of sharing the SurveyMonkey story with some of the best and brightest aspiring business leaders at Harvard Business School. In a panel moderated by the great Paul Maeder from Highland Capital Partners, I was joined by folks from several fantastic companies such as Atlassian, Polycom, and InsightSquared.
Little did I know, the nuts and bolts of subscription business models are apparently a hot topic! We conducted our panel to a standing-room-only lecture hall at Harvard, where we shared some of our learnings with an enthusiastic and engaged audience. Our panel discussion covered many common subscription model topics such as “expected churn” (a.k.a. cancellation) rates for businesses; capital considerations needed to build a subscription model versus the more traditional licensed software model; and how investors value recurring revenue models.
When it came time for the Q&A portion of the session, many of the questions asked came from the entrepreneurs in the crowd who were considering subscription models in their future endeavors. Of the many questions asked, my favorite was this: “What innovative approaches have you seen in subscription models?” This question gave me the opportunity to put SurveyMonkey’s unique experience into context alongside business models that would be actionable for the crowd of potential entrepreneurs. Simply put, we have a fantastic business model. I explained to the audience that our customers love our product and for us, it’s a model that works, and works well. We provide a free tool that delivers quality results and offer an upgradable set of products that many customers opt into to leverage our additional features particular to their surveying needs.
That being said, it’s important to point out that we’ve had more than a decade to build upon and strengthen this model. When I look at other business models that have recurring revenue, the first that comes to mind are the companies that deal with physical goods and materials. They’ve turned what was previously a frustrating retail-shopping experience into a hassle-free (and even fun) online shopping experience. Amazon was the pioneer in this category. They proved to the consumer that purchasing items from clothing and personal accessories to home appliances and entertainment can all be done online and much more efficiently than purchasing within a brick and mortar space.
Although this trend isn’t a new one, its full potential is still yet be realized. When you look at a company like Modify Watches and see how they were able to create a subscription service for a new watch every two to three months, it proves just how powerful e-commerce and subscription models can be when they join forces. It’s changing the way that businesses evolve and in how they are addressing consumer needs.
All in all, it was a great day in Cambridge and many thanks to the hardworking MBA organizers of Cyberposium 18 for the invitation to speak. I learned a lot while there and hopefully shared some useful insights on what we’ve experienced here at SurveyMonkey. The future of subscription models is a bright one and we’re excited to see how the entrepreneurs and innovators out there today will apply the subscription-business model to their own.
If you’d like to check out some photos we took at the event, click here.
Brent Chudoba is SurveyMonkey’s Vice President and General Manager of SurveyMonkey Audience.
Questions, suggestions? Let us know what you think in the Comments section below!